This Saturday, October 25, Paris Saint-Germain will face Brest at the Stade Francis Le-Blé (kick-off at 5 p.m., CET) in Matchday 9 of the 2025-2026 Ligue 1 season. And as before every match, here’s a preview of the Parisians’ opponent.
Brest’s situation –
After a nine-year absence, Stade Brestois returned to Ligue 1 in the summer of 2019. They have since stayed up, but not without some difficult periods. There was an attempt with coach Michel Der Zakarian, but it didn’t work out, and he was replaced by Eric Roy in January 2023.
The player, who had been a consultant for several years, managed to secure relegation and keep his place. The 2023-2024 season is one of consecration and euphoria, with a run at the top of the table throughout the year, aiming to finish third and thus qualify for the Champions League for the first time in its history.
But it was difficult to follow up. There was the immense joy of reaching the Champions League play-offs after a remarkable run, except that PSG ended that run. And in Ligue 1, Brest finished in 9th place. It’s not bad for the club, but it’s less exciting than qualifying for Europe.
This season, Brest got off to a very poor start before picking up a bit before the September break and currently sits in 12th place.
The 2025 summer transfer window –
Source: Transfermarkt.
Departures:
Arrivals:
Key Statistics –
This season, Brest has the 7th-best attack in Ligue 1 with 14 goals scored (Marseille has 21 goals, and Angers has 4 goals), and is among the 14th-best defenses with 14 goals conceded (Marseille and Lens have the best defenses with 7 goals conceded, and Metz has 20 goals).
Brest’s top scorer is Romain Del Castillo (29-year-old winger), with 4 goals, ranking 10th in the league (Joaquin Panichelli leads Ligue 1 with 7 goals). Ludovic Ajorque (31-year-old forward) is Brest’s top assist provider, with 3 assists, and is 5th in Ligue 1 (Adrien Thomasson leads with 5 assists).
Brest’s last 5 matches –
Only Brest possession is shown, and Brest’s shots are listed first (when available).
09/14/2025 (Ligue 1) – Brest/Paris FC (10 men in the 84th minute, 1-2): 1-2. In a 4-3-3 formation. 46% possession. 23 shots, including 8 on target, versus 7 shots (4 on target).
09/20/2025 (Ligue 1) – Brest/Nice – 4-1. In a 4-2-3-1 formation. 37% possession. 11 shots, including 5 on target, versus 21 shots (4 on target).
09/28/2025 (Ligue 1) – Angers/Brest : 0-2. In a 4-2-3-1 formation. 43% possession. 7 shots, including 3 on target, versus 11 shots (2 on target).
04/10/2025 (Ligue 1) – Brest/Nantes: 0-0. In 4-2-3-1 formation. 51% possession. 17 shots, including 5 on target, versus 6 shots (0 on target).
19/10/2025 (Ligue 1) – Lorient/Brest: 3-3. In 4-2-3-1 formation. 51% possession. 5 shots, including 3 on target, versus 9 shots (7 on target).
Probable lineup in 4-3-3 formation
Del Castillo – Ajorque – Baldé
Magnetti – Dina-Ebimbe – Chotard
Locko – Coulibaly – Chardonnet – Lala
Majecki
Brest’s style of play.
Faced with defensive issues, coach Eric Roy has returned to a slightly more cautious style of play, with the idea of first defending well and then trying to inflict damage by attacking quickly. This can involve intense pressure, which is difficult to escape at times.
Then there’s a fast-paced game that can be very damaging. The idea isn’t to maintain possession for long. But this team knows how to come back very high, especially with Ajorque, who drops back well or can serve as a support point for long-range plays. All that’s left is to build pace and intensity to avoid falling into the trap of this difficult trip.
